The Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have today revealed their full 2027 routes, including the iconic London course for the first team time trial in the modern history of the women’s race.
This marks the next step towards the historic 2027 Grands Départs, as Britain becomes the first country outside of France to host the start of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in the same year, as the races start in Edinburgh and Leeds respectively.
The 18-kilometre stage on Sunday 1 August will take riders through the heart of the capital, starting at Whitehall and finishing on The Mall, passing the Houses of Parliament, Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral while crossing Tower Bridge and racing through Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park.
Paul Bush, Managing Director, Grand Départ GB 2027, said: “To have both the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift starting in Britain next summer is extraordinary, and a historic moment. These routes showcase what a spectacular stage Scotland, England and Wales will provide. The women’s team time trial will be such a memorable moment, passing through the heart of London, finishing on The Mall – the first of its kind in the modern history of the race.”
Britain’s role in the 2027 races was showcased during today’s official presentation at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, with a film featuring a bespoke poem by award-winning performance poet Sophia Thakur.
This premiered alongside a Q&A with Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport; Stephen Flynn MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Scottish Government; and Heledd Fychan, MS, Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport, Wales Government.
The Grands Départs will see the Tour de France make only its fifth visit to Britain and begin its three-week odyssey in Edinburgh on Friday 2 July, with three stages through Scotland, north-west England and Wales, before a route that will bend towards the sky in Morvan and the Alps before leading the riders to Mende and onto the decisive showdown in the Pyrenees.
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will then make its first visit to Britain, kicking off in Leeds on Friday 30 July, to echo memories of the spectacular men’s Grand Départ of 2014. The three British stages will culminate with the London team time trial, while it was revealed the overall race will lead the peloton all the way to the slopes of the Massif Central and the iconic Puy de Dôme where the queen will be crowned.
All six stages of the two Grands Départs will be broadcast live on free-to-air television in the UK on Five, alongside live coverage on TNT Sports, who will broadcast the entirety of the 2027 races.
Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director, said: “Just a few weeks apart, the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will each take their respective pelotons on a journey through the roads of the United Kingdom. Along with what we anticipate will be a warm and massive welcome for the champions, Great Britain also offers us a symbol that further ties the two races together. From the start on 2 July at the foot of Edinburgh Castle, which will be the northernmost in the history of the Tour, to a team time trial in London on 1 August, which will undoubtedly bring to mind the one where the champions battled it out twenty years earlier, nearly 900 kilometers will be covered. Needless to say, there will be thousands of thrills and emotions.”
Additionally, the location of the sprints on the five British road stages were also confirmed today, with Newcastleton (Scottish Borders), Morecambe (Lancashire) and Llandrindod Wells (Powys) hosting the intermediate sprints on stages one to three of the men’s Tour de France respectively. Netherton (Kirklees, stage one), Hope and Ladybower Reservoir (both Derbyshire, stage two) will then be the location for the sprints in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Detailed maps of all six stages can now be found on the Routes page of letourgb.com
UK Government Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock, said: “This will be a historic moment for cycling, as the UK hosts both Grands Départs, including the Tour de France Femmes’ first ever women’s team time trial through the heart of London. The route across Scotland, England and Wales will bring out cheering fans and shine a spotlight on women’s cycling like never before. Our £32 million will fund the races and a lasting legacy, so the public feel the benefits long after the last rider crosses the line.”
Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn said: “I was delighted to be in Paris for the unveiling of the full route of the 2027 Tour De France. This is another exciting milestone on the road to the Tour de France Grand Départ coming to Scotland in 2027.
“Seeing the full route confirmed, from the streets of Edinburgh through Midlothian, the Scottish Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway, really brings home what a special moment this will be for communities right across the country. Having the eyes of the world on Scotland once again can only be of benefit to our economy and will bring a further boost to our tourism sector, as people head to Scotland to watch one of the world’s most popular sporting events.
“I would encourage people across Scotland to get involved as we build towards July 2027, and to make the most of this incredible opportunity to showcase all that Scotland has to offer.”
